Did An 8th Century Gamma Ray Burst Irradiate Earth?

An artist’s impression of the merger of two neutron stars. Short duration gamma-ray bursts are thought to be caused by the merger of some combination of white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes. Theory suggests that they are short lived as there is little dust and gas to fuel an ‘afterglow’.

Did An 8th Century Gamma Ray Burst Irradiate Earth? -- Science Daily 

— A nearby terse duration gamma-ray burst may well be the cause of an intense blast of high-energy radiation to facilitate thump the Earth in the 8th century, according to modern delve into led by astronomers Valeri Hambaryan and Ralph Neuhӓuser.

The two scientists, based next to the Astrophysics Institute of the University of Jena in Germany, print their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.